Dunstan Wood, Dunstan Lane, Neston, CH64

Surrounded by gardens and woodland located on the stunning Wirral peninsula and just 20 minutes from the historic walled city of Chester, discover Dunstan Wood, built in 1926 by Walter Aubrey Thomas renowned architect of the iconic Royal Liver Buildings in Liverpool. A unique and special home celebrating its centenary year, Dunstan Wood offers the ultimate escape for those seeking serenity, seclusion and space to entertain.

OWNER QUOTE: “The gardens and woodland feel like a peaceful and beautiful haven tucked away from the world when the gates close behind you.”

As electric gates close, the wider world drifts away, replaced by the quiet calm of Dunstan Wood’s grounds; a mixture of mature woodland, rolling lawns, sports field and swimming pool. Birdsong resonates between the trees and fiery-toned rhododendron bushes lining the sweeping driveway, bringing a buffer of greenery around the home and enhancing the sense of privacy. Yet within 20 minutes, step out along Chester’s iconic Roman walls and its historic Tudor Rows, or, alternatively in just 30 minutes immerse yourself in Liverpool’s cosmopolitan beat - celebrated for its music, galleries and museums and offering a thriving nightlife scene alongside an array of dynamic restaurants and bars.

Beyond the springtime blooms of pink and red, the sweeping driveway culminates in a turning circle, with a feature fountain at its centre, leading to a triple garage with automated door, providing parking for several cars.

Ahead, Dunstan Wood reveals its grandeur.

One hundred years of evolution

A natural sense of light and openness runs throughout the home, stepping indoors from beneath the classical square columned porch; the original portion of Dunstan Wood extends to the right, with later additions to the left. Extended and thoughtfully redesigned in 2009, the newer spaces, created with modern, open-plan living in mind, centre around a substantial kitchen, dining and family area, where an eight-metre span of floor to ceiling glass draws in light, lawns and woodland, ensuring the garden remains a constant presence.

A modernist, minimal feel resonates in the open and airy entrance hall, where white walls and clean lines blend with modern features; glass balustrades, large format marble tiles warmed by underfloor heating, and contemporary lighting and tech. Mirrors amplify the light, while above, a striking chandelier cascades down beneath the double height ceiling.

Winter warmer

Parquet flooring replaces gleaming tiles in the dining room to the right, where a striking original fireplace houses an open fire, emanating warmth and welcome on winter nights when celebrating birthdays or other special occasions. Light streams in through large windows to the front and rear.

After dinner, retire to the drawing room with ceiling rose and a more formal feel - a great place to read beside the open fire in its traditional surround, or to gather and enjoy cocktails on special occasions, where views extend over the grounds to the front and rear.

Versatile living

An easy sense of flow links the rooms, connecting the dining room and drawing room back through to a rear hall, where French doors offer instant access out to the garden.

Beyond, discover the grandly proportioned family room with deep blue grey to the walls. Versatile and multifunctional, projectors and drop-down screens transform this room into an intimate retreat for movie nights with family and friends. With space to incorporate a study area, a broad bay window provides a perfect frame to the watercolour garden views.

Invite the light

Transcend from the cosy formality of the traditional reception rooms to the heart of modern living in the cool white welcoming and decadently sized family dining kitchen. Accessed from the family room and main entrance hall, the kitchen is very much the centre of this home, with a wall of sliding glass doors opening out to the broad decking, framing fantastic views out over the garden and its mature, treelined backdrop.

Installed in 2009 by ZiZi Chester, the clean lines of this white gloss, handleless kitchen allow it to blend into, rather than dominate the space, keeping flow, functionality and sightlines at the heart of the design.

Modern lighting features throughout the kitchen, where design and practicality are carefully balanced. At its centre, the large island incorporates a breakfast bar, informal seating and a lower-level table, creating a natural place to gather throughout the day.

Entertaining haven

A suite of integrated Miele appliances - including coffee machine, steamer and triple oven, alongside full-height fridge and freezer - is neatly built in, adding to the ease of use. Behind the cooker and preparation area, a mirrored splashback reflects the garden back to the chefand those gathered at the island, a view that can be found at every turn, with the eight-metre span of sliding glass doors further enhanced by two expansive windows to either side, immersing the kitchen in its green and pleasant surrounds.

OWNER QUOTE: “When you are facing away working in the kitchen with your back to it you can still see the nature and beauty of the garden.”

Work, rest, play

Offering different areas to cook and dine, sit for coffee, relax and unwind, step out through the sliding doors to access the decking where there is space to dine al fresco and create a dedicated barbecue zone where you can relax overlooking the garden and pond with its cascading water feature while enjoying a glass of wine. Beyond, a pathway leads through the back lawn down to the pool.

Take a morning dip, listening to the dawn chorus. With its own pool house furnished withTV, fridges, shower and changing, just like being on holiday, there is no need to return to the main home until you’re done for the day; private, quiet and not at all overlooked.

Back in the kitchen, practical places also feature, including the utility room furnished with large, American-style fridge freezer and with plumbing for washing machine and dryer alongside cupboard storage.

Off the kitchen, the gym (formerly a cinema room, still furnished with projectors and screens) provides further views out over the garden and serves as a versatile room ready to adapt to any function needed. Tucked off to the rear, a small lobby opening out to the garden is ideal as an everyday boot room, whether returning from a run through the woods, or from a walk with canine companions, offering access to a shower room where people and pets can rinse off.

Peace and privacy

Spiral stairs provide private access up from the gym to the master suite, a calm and self-contained retreat, light-filled, with remote-controlled lighting, wake up to glorious garden views, best enjoyed with a cup of tea on the sunny decked balcony, spanning eight-by-four metres, making it the perfect place for a spot of yoga or a work out while looking out over the treetop views. On winter nights, the living flame glass fronted fire imbues its sense of cosy warmth.

The en suite offers a true taste of luxury. Underfloor heating runs beneath dark limestone floors and walls, creating a boutique hotel feel. Refresh and revive in the open, walk-in wet room with views out to the garden, complemented by a double vanity unit with illuminated mirror. Soak away the aches in the large, freestanding bath.

Prepare for the day in the divine dressing rooms accessed via sliding doors and fully furnished with wardrobes offering hanging space and drawers, with a glass-topped island of drawers at its centre and an LED mirror lit dressing table to the side. Storage is in abundance, stylish and practical in its design, with LED strip lighting in each wardrobe.

Room for all

This penthouse-vibe master suite can also be accessed from the landing and main staircase leading up from the entrance hall. Three further bedrooms can be found off this landing, all with large windows drawing in views of the nature filled gardens at the rear, all carpeted and cosy, continuing the minimal chic grey motif found throughout. With their own dressing rooms and access to capacious en suites or shower rooms, luxuriously fitted with grand walk-through showers and deep baths, the sense of scale and light is exceptional.

OWNER QUOTE: “Indoors and outdoors the standout feature has to be the light that floods in and the space and scale…all the bedrooms are large and light.”

To the front of the first floor, a fourth potential bedroom is ideally sized as a laundry room or home office.

Another level

Continue up the light-filled flight of stairs to the front, arriving at the second floor, a beautifully versatile and private domain, home to two bedrooms, walk-in wardrobes and two bathrooms, alongside a smaller room and large walk-in attic running the entire length of the home, offering abundant storage.

Peaceful and private, the top floor lends itself to all sorts: hobby rooms, a music space or a relaxed games room, with room to spread out. An ideal setup for older children or teenagers, the upper floor offers space to have friends over.

Alternatively, it could be arranged as a self-contained space for a live-in nanny, with room for both sleeping and living areas.

Poolside paradise

Step outside and into a world of wonder, with lawns, woodland and even a sports field to explore. Dive into the outdoor pool, with its own pool house with changing facilities and sitting area with fridge, made for sunny summer days with family and friends, where children can learn to swim or even paddleboard.

An ornamental fountain, pond with water feature continue the sounds of splashing water, for a sense of oneness with nature. Woodpeckers, jays, rabbits and squirrels are among the visitors to the extensive gardens of Dunstan Wood. A haven for wildlife, there is even space for horses and other animals (if fenced off), with a small paddock to the front and a field next to the pool.

Access the sports pitch, most recently used as a basketball court but ideal for tennis or football, and the little pavilion across from the main entrance and front door, which itself is set beneath a portico providing shelter on rainy days.

From pool parties with a fully stocked fridge and the beats pounding, followed by barbecues on the decking, this garden extends the vast entertaining space indoors, while nearly seven acres of grounds provide plenty of scope for trampolines, climbing frames, zip wires, tree houses and swings to keep the children happy.

Out and about

Set within easy reach of all the Wirral has to offer, a diverse range of leisure facilities can be found close by. From the well-regarded courses at Heswall and Caldy to the renowned Royal Liverpool at Hoylake, host of The Open, the area is a haven for golf enthusiasts. Long, sandy beaches line the peninsula, perfect for picnics, dog walks and evening strolls beneath wide, colour-streaked skies. At West Kirby Marine Lake, sailing boats skim the water, favoured by both paddleboarders and walkers who amble along the shoreline. The local landscape, largely flat, lends itself to cycling, while nearby riding stables cater to equestrian pursuits. For a broader mix of shopping and leisure, Cheshire Oaks also lies within easy reach.

Private and peaceful, Dunstan Wood is the perfect place to raise children, with access to a wide selection of schools. Alongside local primary schools Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School and Willaston Church of England Primary School, Chester provides a number of well-regarded independent options, including The Queen’s School for Girls, offering education from reception through to sixth form, and the co-educational King’s School.

Further afield, West Kirby Grammar School for Girls and Calday Grange Grammar School are both within around a 20-minute drive on the Wirral. School bus services operate from local collection points, making daily travel straightforward.

Discover the fantastic walks that lie nearby, making Dunstan Wood ideal for those who enjoy time outdoors. From Willaston, around two miles away, walks extend towards Thornton Hough, while in the opposite direction, Burton offers access to the Wirral Way, a well-known route for walking, cycling and riding, stretching from Chester to New Brighton.

Parkgate, just a little further along, opens out onto the Dee Estuary, with wide views across the marshlands towards North Wales.

In Burton village, less than half a mile away, Gladstone Village Hall is a warm and welcoming community hub, with a play group for tots and a cricket club, hosting a range clubs and activities.

Neston, around three miles away, provides a wider mix of shops, including Sainsbury’s and Aldi, alongside independent cafés such as Elephant Coffee, a selection of takeaways and local retailers.

For dining out, the nearby villages offer a relaxed but varied choice, Willaston has two well-regarded pubs alongside a convenience store, chemist and doctors, while Parkgate is known for its collection of waterside spots - including The Ship, The Red Lion and The Boathouse with tables overlooking the estuary. Cafés, restaurants and bars line the historic parade, creating a sociable setting throughout the year.

There is plenty to do within easy reach. Bidston Hill and its historic windmill, along with West Kirby Marine Lake, offer local interest, while Foxes Riding Stables is around three miles away.

For a broader range of leisure, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is within around eight miles, alongside a cinema, bowling, trampoline park and David Lloyd leisure club. Chester Zoo lies approximately 10 miles away, as does the centre of Chester itself, with its Roman walls, scenic walks and pleasure boat cruises along the River Dee, beautiful Grosvenor Park,historic cathedral, famous racecourse, Storyhouse theatre, range of independent shops and recently reinvented indoor market filled with artisan traders.

Rural, but not remote, the M53 is easily accessible for routes into Chester in around 20 minutes, with Liverpool around a 30 minute-commute via the tunnel. The M56, also within easy reach, provides access to the M6 for travel north and south alongside links to Manchester in approximately 45 minutes.

A great party house with perfect entertaining spaces offering room for even the largest groups of family and friends to gather, and yet still enough space to find quiet areas to escape to, Dunstan Wood offers the best of both worlds: open living and space for solitude; peace and privacy indoors and out, with easy access to the cities for work and leisure.

Beautiful all year round and so flexible, Dunstan Wood is the perfect base for

families with children who enjoy hosting friends and who enjoy nature and being outdoors, whilst its high levels of privacy are the perfect solution for sports professionals in the public eye seeking a level of security and seclusion.

Unique, impressive, spacious and streaming with sunlight, Dunstan Wood is a spiritually uplifting home embraced by nature. The dream home realised; Dunstan Wood awaits.

Disclaimer

The information Storeys of Cheshire has provided is for general informational purposes only and does not form part of any offer or contract. The agent has not tested any equipment or services and cannot verify their working order or suitability. Buyers should consult their solicitor or surveyor for verification. Photographs shown are for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the items included in the property sale. Please note that lifestyle descriptions are provided as a general indication. Regarding planning and building consents, buyers should conduct their own enquiries with the relevant authorities. All measurements are approximate. Properties are offered subject to contract, and neither Storeys of Cheshire nor its employees or associated partners have the authority to provide any representations or warranties.